Red Sox Beat: Season an abject failure to date

As the Red Sox awake on the morning of the Fourth of July, their season so far has been an abject failure. This is a team that was brought back mostly intact, and was expected to compete for a second consecutive championship. Instead, it's been one of the worst defending champions in the history of baseball.

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By Eric AvidonDaily News staff

The Herald News, Fall River, MA

By Eric AvidonDaily News staff

Posted Jul. 3, 2014 at 8:46 PM
Updated Jul 4, 2014 at 12:39 AM

By Eric AvidonDaily News staff

Posted Jul. 3, 2014 at 8:46 PM
Updated Jul 4, 2014 at 12:39 AM

» Social News

As the Red Sox awake on the morning of the Fourth of July, their season so far has been an abject failure.

Lest we forget, these are the defending world champions.

It was just over eight months ago that David Ortiz stood in the middle of the team's clubhouse with a massive bottle of champagne held high above his head, spraying anyone and everyone in sight. And it was only a few days after that when there was a rolling rally through the streets of Boston to celebrate a third World Series title in 10 seasons.

This is a team that was brought back mostly intact, and was expected to compete for a second consecutive championship. Instead, it's been one of the worst defending champions in the history of baseball.

Their current winning percentage of .447 would be better than just one team the year after it won the World Series, ahead of only the 1998 Florida Marlins, who went 54-108 when owner Wayne Huizenga sold off essentially every player who was instrumental in their championship the year before.

To repeat, at their current pace, the Red Sox would be the second-worst defending champion of all time.

There have been 106 of them.

The Red Sox sit a season-high nine games under .500 following a sweep at the hands of the lowly Cubs, and are 8½ games out of first place.

"There is a full half-season to go here," manager John Farrell said late Wednesday night after the Red Sox' 16-9 loss. "We recognize fully where we are in the standings and what our record indicates, and we've got to continue to work at that."

The Red Sox were 20-19 on May 14, and since then are 18-28. They were averaging 4.33 runs per game through those first 39, but are scoring a mere 3.30 in the 46 since. It feels like a bad season is only getting worse, but there actually is time for things to change.

The next few weeks are crucial.

They are what will determine whether the Red Sox attempt a comeback that seems unlikely at this point or essentially give up on the season and sell off assets to build for a better future.

The non-waiver trade deadline is July 31, and it’s some point between now and then that general manager Ben Cherington has to make the call on whether or not this season is lost.

But for the season not to be lost, and for the Red Sox not to go down as one of the worst defending champions of all time, what has to happen between now and that decisive moment seems unlikely, if not impossible.

The pitching has actually been good, and often times a lot better than that.

When they've won over the last seven weeks it's usually been because they've gotten stellar starts, someone limiting the opposition to just a run or two so the Red Sox could win by scoring a mere two or three.

Page 2 of 2 - Their 3.87 team earned run average ranks fifth in the American League.

While not one single holdover from last year's lineup is living up to past performance, Jon Lester and John Lackey are both having good seasons, and Koji Uehara, despite some recent struggles, is having almost as dominant a year as he did when he was historically good in 2013.

It’s the lineup that needs to come to life, and it has to happen en masse.

Dustin Pedroia is finally starting to hit.

With nine hits in the last four games, his average is up to .282, the highest it's been since May 15. If Pedroia hitting third can join Ortiz batting fourth to provide a steady tandem, at least the Red Sox could finally count on getting some production from the middle of their lineup.

But far more than Pedroia is needed, as the sweep by the Cubs demonstrates.

Xander Bogaerts, hitless now in his last 23 at-bats and looking completely lost at the plate, needs to regain the stroke that had his OPS at .859 a month ago. Stephen Drew needs to stop being an automatic out. Shane Victorino needs to get healthy and hit immediately. Someone from among Jackie Bradley Jr., Mookie Betts, and Daniel Nava needs to claim a permanent starting spot in the outfield on the strength of their bat.

And Brock Holt needs to keep doing what he's been doing.

"From a bigger picture aspect," Farrell said Wednesday, "there's very solid pitching and defense. … We've got to continue to look to lengthen out our lineup."

It all seems unlikely. A little more than halfway through the season there have been few signs of life.

So far, 2014 been a disaster. Two, maybe three weeks remain for the Red Sox to start scoring more than two or three runs per game. If they don't, the Red Sox will end up where they are now, failing miserably to come even close to contending for a second straight World Series.

And instead of waking up on Independence Day merely on pace to become one of the worst defending champions in history, they'll be one.

Eric Avidon can be reached at 508-626-3809 or eavidon@wickedlocal.com. Follow him on Twitter @ericavidon.